Q5: Wild Horse and Burro Adoption coming up

Paul McGuire is the public affairs specialist at U.S. Bureau of Land Management. In this Q5 he tells us about the upcoming Wild Horse and Burro Adoption.

Rimsie McConiga

Paul McGuire is the public affairs specialist at U.S. Bureau of Land Management. In this Q5 he tells us about the upcoming Wild Horse and Burro Adoption.

1. Paul, can you tell us about the Wild Horse and Burro Adoption coming up on Friday and Saturday? The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will hold a Wild Horse and Burro Adoption in Tonganoxie, Kan., Friday and Saturday, Aug. 8 and 9. The two-day event at the Leavenworth County Fairgrounds will feature dozens of spectacular animals. These are adult and yearling horses and burros that once roamed free on public lands in the West. The BLM periodically removes excess animals from the range in order to maintain healthy herds and to protect other rangeland resources. The adoption program is essential for achieving these important management goals. This event is free and open to the public.

2. Why did Congress feel it was important to design this program? Due to unregulated management of wild horses and burros through most of the 20th century, animals were often mistreated and were at risk of being eliminated from western rangelands. Congress passed the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act in 1971 to ensure that these symbols of the American West would be protected and preserved on public lands.

3. Why have these animals been removed from the public lands that they used to roam and why is this adoption program essential for achieving management goals for our public lands? Animals are periodically removed to ensure healthy herds remain in balance with healthy rangelands. Overpopulation would result in extreme degradation of the land, the horses and other wildlife would suffer along with other land values.

4. Why are these animals ideal for work or recreation? Since the program's start in 1973, how many of these 'living legends' has the Bureau of Land Management placed with adopters? Wild horses and burros are extremely intelligent, strong, agile and have tremendous stamina. These are all qualities that enable them to survive in the wild. Since the mid-1970s, BLM has placed more than 235,000 wild horses and burros into adoptive homes.

5. What are the times for the adoption, how much are the fees and what is the adoption incentive? Where can people get more information on the adoption? Adoption ScheduleFriday, Aug. 8, noon - 6 p.m.Saturday, Aug. 9, 8-10 a.m.Adoption FeesAll animals will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis for the minimum adoption fee of $125 (set by law).$500 Adoption IncentiveBLM pays a one-time $500 care-and-feeding allowance to adopters of horses at least four years old. The allowance is paid in full after one year when adopters receive official ownership title for their horse(s). All standard adoption conditions and fees apply. A limited number of eligible horses will be available. Younger horses, burros and trained animals are not eligible for this incentive. This incentive is designed to find homes for older horses that might otherwise be destined for long-term pastures, where they’d live out the remainder of their natural lives at taxpayer expense.For more information, call toll-free 866-468-7826 or visit www.blm.gov/nm/whb.

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